Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé ‘Sabine’ is a delicious dry rosé from Provence, now in its 9th strong vintage—and by far our top-selling rosé every season! Winemaker Charles Bieler, whose family is renowned for its former ownership of Chateau Routas, launched Bieler Pere et Fils in homage to his father Philippe and named this wine for his daughter Sabine. This rich, deeply colored rosé from 5 hillside vineyards of Coteaux d’Aix en Provence is Syrah-driven (55%) blended with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Grenache, 3% Cinsault and 2% Rolle. This is a great wine to usher in the spring, combining the rich flavors of a red wine with the refreshing qualities of a white. It’s a true wine gem!

Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé is soft cranberry-red in color with a gorgeous nose of raspberry, bing cherry, wild strawberry and spicy minerality. It is beautifully crisp and flavorful on the palate with medium body and notes of red berries, bing cherries, spice and no oak. The finish is long and refreshing.

Enjoy Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé now and over the next 2-3 years as the perfect patio aperitif wine. It matches up beautifully with salade Nicoise, roast chicken, grilled shrimp and mild cheeses.

The bus visited 16 houses total on the three-hour tour. The Travel Channel interviewed several of the passengers and asked them what the Tacky Light tour meant to them.

The tour wrapped up at The James Center and included a stop at the Krispy Kreme.

“When you’re in the South, you can’t not do a stop at Krispy Kreme,” Pounder says.

The Winn Bus Lines were the very first to do a Tacky Light Tour in 1985 and they continue to offer a very popular “Tacky Light” bus tour today. Last year, they ran 128 Tacky Light tours. This year, they will add a Southside tour to their line-up. Check out their websitefor more info and to book your tour.

“Xtreme Xmas” is expected to include other cities that also feature “extreme” holiday traditions such as a brightly lit boat parade.

Pat and I along with some other area innkeepers went on a special Segway tour of Richmond’s Shockoe Slip, State Capital, Browns Island, White House of the Confederacy. We were guided by Jeff and Sasha and what an amazing job they did with the history of the area, the route and the safety training at the beginning of the tour. We would highly recommend this to our guests or anyone visiting the River City. You can find more information on our website http://www.williammillerhouse.com or on River City Segs web page http://rivercitysegs.com/

It has been an exciting week to witness creativity in the works in Richmond, Virginia. 44 juried artists from around the US descended on Richmond to “paint what they see” from the city’s sidewalks, alleys, public spaces, gardens, historic neighborhoods as part of Plein Air Richmond 2013. Residents and visitors noted the artists with their easels, palettes, and works in progress all around Richmond. Here at the William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, we have had the opportunity to host two of the artists.

These dedicated, disciplined artists are up and out in the city painting early in the morning. They grab a cup of coffee and a muffin to go while the innkeepers are still snoozing in their bed! Some evenings they could be found capturing the evening light. They had very long days, exploring, painting, and learning about the city. Each day a specific area or attraction has been featured:

Paula Frizbe

Monday Shockoe Slip/Shockoe bottom

Tuesday Maymont

Wednesday Church Hill

Thursday Libbie and Grove

Friday was a half-day at Wilton House Museum while they spent the afternoon getting ready for the gala event at the Brazier Gallery, where the finished paintings were seen for the first time and were available for sale. Proceeds for the event benefit the Richmond Symphony!